"I… I was not having fun," Clara stammered out.
The girl was terrified of her despite getting her help. Were the edicts so feared a woman would sooner face her would be rapist then speak true to an edict?
If only Erika could change something like that. Now was not the time though. She needed to show a display of dominance.
"I see…" She already knew her answer but she wanted to drag the tension out. The priest was far more terrified when an edict was being quiet. The silence was always a greater torturer, for one did not always know an edicts mood. Even if they did, their mood didn't always reflect their action. It was far too erratic and random.
Her eyes glazed the offenders. The way she looked at them. As though they were lower than the dirt they walked on.
And that was being too generous given the very land they live on happens to be floating in the sky.
"So we have two perspectives on the same story. Is this territory hell bent on increasing my workload?" Erika asked.
"Not at all…" The leader said. He was so aptly named as his pants were the most loose out of all of them. {Seemed like he was going to have the pleasure of breaking her in first.}
With but a mere glance she could assess the situation herself.
Erika bent down on her toes and continued staring down at his dogeza. "This girl just informed me that she wasn't having a good time. You weren't about to besmirch her virtue right in front of me, were you?"
"Forgive me Edict Noya. I did not mean to show you such a sight. I'll gladly take it elsewhere if it bothers you," He said.
"I'm sure you would. However, I don't tolerate such savagery. Are you a priest of the Skylands, or a mere beast? You want your rocks off find some hole willing. This one's off limits,"
She stood up and walked closer to Clara. "Stand up young lady. You should not allow these men to sully your dignity," Her words were swift and demanding. It held no comfort, something Clara picked up on enough to stand as meek as she was. "I do not want to have to fix this problem again. See to it that this does not happen again in my presence,"
Clara bowed her head. "Yes mam. Thank you so much," Panicked, she tried to leave the scene.
"Halt. You will be coming with me," Erika ordered. In this way, she could escort the girl out without further incident.
"Edict Noya…"
Erika turned around with mild annoyance. It was that same White dragon who wanted to empty himself. She rolled her eyes at his persistence.
"What is it you want now?" Erika asked.
The man glanced over at Saint Yami. The Saint in question kept his eyes closed as if he didn't want to acknowledge anything that happened between them. That one subtle movement of his told Erika all she needed to know. He was begging Saint Yami for his help. Something Yami wasn't too keen on giving. The fact that he would even dare to make such a suggestion showed just one more sign at how disloyal the Rebble territory had been. This one couldn't even keep up pretenses to defer power to her.
"If it's nothing then do not bother me any further with this nonsense. You should be ashamed that this is what you resort to,"
She turned and began walking away again, only to be met the sense of anger and death. It was so strong; she could feel a slight headache. Clearly, she angered that man.
"The edicts take what they want but we can't? Bunch of sorry sack of hypocrites," The man said under his breath. Though he whispered it, she heard it. Even that was a bridge too far.
She looked at him with the fury of death glowing from her eyes. The pressure everyone felt came down as if gravity itself changed.
"A man dares talk about the Edicts like that! Clearly, we haven't been here enough to remind you who's in charge. Don't worry, I'll be sure to carve it into everyone so long as I'm here!"
Though nothing at all changed, everyone around them felt as if the whole island shook. Their breathing became labored, and their hands shook with fear. Nobody in the vicinity could move. This was the power of an edict.
The man coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground. All that raw power was directed at him. A power no mere teenager should have.
"Let that be your first reminder," Erika demanded.
Clara stared at the man who collapsed on the ground. The one who just moments ago was about to take her. His body was more than just collapsed. He was motionless on the ground. "He's…"
"Dead!" Erika finished without even looking at him. "Clearly, he had no need of a heart, so I did him the favor of stopping it from beating,"
Suddenly, the fear of the edicts was renewed in these dragons. She stopped his heart with just a stare. She did it so brazen and reckless. Right in front of the saint no less.
Yami himself just smirked at the whole situation. The man cared not for this meager life. Clara made sure to stick close to her until instructed otherwise. Though she missed the last edict's wrath thanks to her having walked out. She was reminded who was the boss. It was best not to get on this girl's bad side. A girl that was no older than she was.
It was silent as she left.
Clara walked all the way towards the place they were staying. There was a lot of destroyed debris from Aeragis's attack, that problem didn't fix itself.
But there were several buildings that had taken priority to, and a main building was one of them. Her being an edict, she decided she would stay here as its residence.
"Girl, come!" She demanded.
She walked inside and went towards the living quarters. She so brazenly went towards the master bedroom followed by Clara and her bond guard Hina. With little regard, she flung it open.
"Be a doll and get the door for me," She said. Clara hurriedly closed the door. She didn't want to miss even the most trivial of orders. "Hina if you can, please run a hot one for me," She asked as she stretched one out.
"Yes, my edict," Hina said. She got a giant tub and filled it with water.
Erika began stripping and replacing her regal clothes with a towel robe. Clara blushed at how open the young woman was and looked away.
"Please tell me if there's anything wrong," Erika said.
Clara looked even more confused. "Forgive me edict Noya. I've just never heard an edict using the word please before. I hope my lady doesn't take that to offense,"
"Oh yeah. I tend to relax when I'm behind closed doors. Don't take it to mind," Erika said. The bath water was full, now all there was to wait until it's heated up. Erika laid on the couch and closed her eyes.
"You… saved me. I can't thank you enough for that," Clara said.
"Don't think too much about it. Contrary to popular belief, not all of us edicts are complete and utter assholes," She said.
"But why would you save the likes of me… I'm nobody," Clara said.
Erika looked at her with one eye, then closed it again. "Maybe I did it on a whim. Maybe I just felt like establishing my dominance here. Don't read too much into it," She could tell that the girl wasn't convinced. "Or just take the blessing and role with it. Whatever floats ya boat," She wiggled in and got comfortable.
Clara still stared at her wondering what her angle was. "You'll find that my lady has her own way of doing things. Do not mind her harsh tongue out there. She still has an image she must keep," Hina said.
"I don't hear you heating that tub," Erika said.
Hina smiled.
"Are there more edicts like you?" Clara asked.
"I wouldn't dare make that assumption. We're all dispicable. You go through life believing that and you'd have a longer, healthier life,"
"Your tub is ready, my edict," Hina said.
It was hot and steaming. Erika disrobed and dipped herself in the hot tub. She took a sponge and began rubbing her body with it. "I got to say, with knockers like yours, I'd avoid any male edict that comes your way. One look at them killers, and they'd happily take you. At that point, there's nothing I'd be able to do about it. Even over here I can't be around you all day every day.
It got silent. "If that's the case, might I make a request," Clara said.
"Shoot. I don't mind if you humor me for a bit," Erika said.
She nodded her head. "Might you send me to the lower world,"